The present invention relates to an aqueous formulation containing phenol and/or phenol derivatives having a low freezing point and anti-microbial activity.
Especially if they are used as preservatives in the technical area such as in highly concentrated pigment slurries but also in general if used in a range of pH 7-10.5, phenol derivative formulations have shortcomings. Phenol, alkyl-substituted and aryl-substituted phenols, halogenated phenols as well as cresols and halogenated cresols and the alkali salts thereof are known as anti-fungal and anti-bacterial agents in protective and curative areas. Most of the formulations with these phenol derivatives are poorly water soluble, poorly water miscible or too alkaline for water soluble alkali salt formulations for later use and, therefore, have an adverse effect on the product to be protected or have a freezing point of 0xc2x0 C. or slightly below 0xc2x0 C. In particular, o-phenylphenol and sodium o-phenylphenolate as well as potassium o-phenylphenolate are known as anti-fungal agents for wood but also as preservatives for pigment slurries. o-Phenylphenol, sodium o-phenylphenolate and potassium o-phenylphenolate are available form of a powder. o-Phenylphenol is also available in aliphatic glycols such as for example in a solution of 60% by wt. in monopropylene glycol. Sodium o-phenylphenolate is commercially available as a 25% by wt. sodium hydroxide solution and as a 35-38% by wt. emulsion wherein high amounts of emulsifying agents are used for its stabilization. Potassium o-phenylphenolate is commercially available as a 35-39% by wt. potassium hydroxide in water solution. In the form of a powder, o-phenylphenol may not be handled easily. Further, o-phenylphenol is almost insoluble in water and, therefore, it is difficult to mix it into an aqueous highly concentrated pigment slurry. Its distribution is insufficient. Sodium o-phenylphenolate in form of a powder has a pH value which is too high for many subsequent uses as do the corresponding alkaline solutions. Also, the powder form may not be handled easily in larger amounts. Liquid formulations are clearly preferred.
o-Phenylphenol in monopropylene glycol is not water miscible due to the poor solubility of o-phenylphenol and, therefore, may not be used as a preservative for pigment slurries in this formulation. Upon introduction into aqueous systems the solution precipitates as a greasy, tacky and fluffy substance. Aqueous sodium o-phenylphenolate of 25% by wt. as well as potassium o-phenylphenolate of 35% by wt. are very caustic and have a high pH value of above 12. Upon addition to an aqueous pigment slurry with high solids content, in particular with a solids concentration of  greater than 50% by volume, this high pH and the high ionic concentration lead to the formation of agglomerates in the pigment slurry and to an alteration of the pH in the final product.
The use of emulsified sodium o-phenylphenolate in pigment slurries with high solids content bears a risk since the emulsifying agent destabilizes the pigment dispersion and tends to foam formation. Furthermore, the freezing point of most of the aqueous salt solutions and aqueous emulsions of o-phenylphenol is at or slightly below 0xc2x0 C. Only o-phenylphenol in propylene glycol and potassium o-phenylphenolate have a freezing point of  less than xe2x88x9215xc2x0 C. However, these show the poor miscibility and the risk of formation of agglomerates, respectively. During the winter in Northern Europe, e.g. in Norway as well as in North America and Canada, it is impossible to transport aqueous solutions without the risk of freezing if no heating is present in the transport container. The same problem is encountered during storage.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid formulation of phenol and/or phenol derivatives, in particular of o-phenylphenol, having a pH which may be adapted to final use. Furthermore, the formulation should have a freezing point of at least xe2x88x927xc2x0 C. Moreover, with respect to transport and storage costs the concentration of the solution of the phenol and/or phenol derivative, preferably the o-phenylphenol solution, should be as high as possible to reduce the transport and storage volume.
According to the invention, this object has been solved by an aqueous formulation containing phenol and/or phenol derivatives comprising partially neutralized phenol and/or partially neutralized phenol derivatives and one or more glycol compounds and/or glycerol.
The formulations of the present invention have a freezing point of at least xe2x88x927xc2x0 C. Preferred embodiments of the formulations have freezing points of xe2x88x9210xc2x0 C. or even xe2x88x9215xc2x0 C. Furthermore, using the formulation according to the invention the amounts of phenol and phenol derivatives may be preferably greater than 25% by wt.
A particularly great advantage of the formulation according to the invention is that the pH value thereof may be adjusted to the value required for the later use. Examples are pH values of 8.5-9.5 for calcium carbonate slurries, and 9.5-10.5 for talc slurries as well as 7.0-7.5 for American kaolin slurries. This is achieved because the phenol used according to the invention and/or the derivatives of phenol, preferably o-phenylphenol is present in a partially neutralized form, preferably in a form partially neutralized with alkali hydroxides. Particularly preferable, NaOH or KOH are used for partial neutralization.
Glycol compounds, preferably aliphatic glycol compounds and/or glycerol are employed as solution aid between phenol and water. At the same time, these substances act to lower the freezing points of the formulation (solution). Preferably, among the glycols 2- or 3-basic glycols are used. For example, glycols on the basis of ehtylene glycol, diethylene glycol or monopropylene glycol or mixtures thereof.
The phenol or the derivatives of phenol used according to the present invention have an anti-microbial effect and, thus, act as preservatives. Due to these properties, the formulation of the present invention may serve both for protective and curative uses.
Preferred phenol derivatives are mono- or polysubstituted phenols with aliphatic and/or aromatic substituents. Examples for such derivatives which may be used according to the invention are o-phenylphenol (OPP), halogenated phenols, cresols, halogenated cresols, resocinols and parahydroxybenzoic acid esters (PHB esters) or the mixtures thereof. Examples for cresols are halogenated cresols, in particularly chlorinated cresols, o-, m-, and p-cresol, isopropyl o-cresol, 4-isopropyl m-cresol. An example for a resorcinol which may be used is 4-n-hexyl resorcinol.
Most important for the success of the present invention is partial neutralization of the phenol and its derivatives. The degree of partial neutralization of phenol and its derivatives is in the range of 5-95 mole %, preferably 5-80 mole %. The preferred ranges especially depend on the pH ranges in which the formulations according to the invention will be used. For example, if they are used in a pH range of 6-8 the preferred degree of partial neutralization is 5-60 mole % and particularly preferred 5-30 mole %. For a later use in a pH range of 7-9 the degree of partial neutralization preferably is 20-50 mole %, for example 20-30 mole %. For a later use in a pH range of 8-10 the degree of partial neutralization preferably is 30-70 mole %, for example 30-50 mole %, and for a later use in a pH range of 9-11 the preferred degree of partial neutralization is 50-80 mole %, for example 50-70 mole %.
Phenol and/or its derivatives are present in the formulation in an amount of 5-50% by wt., more conveniently 15-40% by wt., and as the organic solvents aliphatic glycol compounds and/or glycerol in an amount of 20-90% by wt., preferably 40-80% by wt. and in addition optionally aromatic alcohols in an amount of 0-70% by wt., more conveniently 0-50% by wt. may be present in the formulation, the total amount of organic solvents being 40-90% by wt. and the balance to 100% by wt. in each case being alkali hydroxide and water.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the formulation contains one or more aromatic alcohols. Preferably, compounds of the following formula are used as the aromatic alcohols: 
wherein optionally another substituent R is present in the o-, m- or p-position, where R is preferably a straight chain or branched aliphatic substituent having the formula xe2x80x94CnH2n+1, wherein n=1-5, preferably 1-3, further preferred 1.
Examples of alcohols which may be used are: benzyl alcohol and/or 2-phenylethane-1-ol and/or 3-phenylpropane-1-ol and/or 1-phenylpropane-2-ol or 
wherein n=1-5, preferably 1-3, further preferred 1.
In another embodiment of the present invention the formulation contains further substances with anti-microbial activity, for example compounds having anti-bacterial and/or anti-fungal activity. The preparation of the formulation according to the invention may be accomplished by the skilled artisan on the basis of his technical knowledge without any inventive step. For example, for the preparation of the formulation of the present invention, the phenol and/or its derivatives are dissolved in the glycol compound and/or the glycerol, preferably under gentle heating. However, the sequence may be reversed, i.e. first the phenol or the phenolic compound, respectively, is added followed by addition of the glycol compound or the glycerol, respectively. Following the preparation of the solution of phenol and/or the phenol derivative partial neutralization is achieved, preferably using an alkali hydroxide, which is added in a form dissolved in water. Aromatic alcohols may be included into the formulation as a further organic solvent. It is also possible to add other biocidal agents.
In principle, as mentioned above the sequence of addition is all the same. However, there may be a temporary incompatibility leading to temporary precipitation of substances. Therefore, the phenol compounds are preferably dissolved in the organic solvent followed by addition of the partial neutralizing agent in the appropriate amount of water.
There has been surprisingly and unexpectedly found that phenol derivatives such as phenol, o-phenylphenol, cresols, partially neutralized with alkali hydroxides, preferably in glycol/water were not precipitated from the glycol and did not develop two phases even at a high solids content and very low temperature of e.g. xe2x88x9218xc2x0 C., that the solutions were stable for months, a brown coloration such as that which has been for example well known from alkali salts of o-phenylphenol was much weaker and the freezing point and pH value could be adjusted according to need.
As may be seen also from the accompanying examples, the formulation according to the present invention will be preferably used as a preservative, particularly preferred for the preservation of aqueous suspensions or dispersions of minerals, fillers, pigments and natural or synthetic organic binders and the mixtures thereof. Furthermore, it may be employed in the preservation of coolants, preferably in the metal processing industry. Aqueous suspensions or dispersions of minerals, fillers and/or pigments containing the formulation according to the invention are preferably used in the fields of paper making, paper coating and aqueous varnishes and paints. It is suitable for protective as well as for curative use.
Moreover, the aqueous suspension or dispersion may contain one or more synthetic and/or natural organic binder(s), preferably styrene butadiene latexes and/or styrene acrylate latexes, starch and/or carboxymethylcellulose which are protected from microbial attack and/or spoilage.
As the minerals and/or fillers and/or pigments, the aqueous suspension or dispersion preferably contains elements of the second and/or third main group and/or the fourth main group and/or the fourth side group of the periodic system of the elements, particularly compounds and/or organic pigments containing calcium and/or silicon and/or aluminium and/or titanium and/or barium.
Preferably, the aqueous suspension or dispersion contains minerals and/or fillers and/or pigments containing kaolin and/or aluminium hydroxide and/or titanium dioxide and/or barium sulfate and/or polystyrene hollow spheres and/or formaldehyde resins and/or calcium carbonate, in particular natural calcium carbonates and/or precipitated calcium carbonates and/or marble and/or lime and/or dolomite and/or dolomite-containing calcium carbonates.